DVD question: NTSC/PAL

[mart]

I assumed that the only differences between DVDs is the regional code, but I've just read a review of a 2-disc special edition of Citizen Kane that says its NTSC rather than PAL. What does this mean?

Mart

[Deuce Bigolo]

Bascially the Yanks use NTSC & Europe,Austrlia & NZ use PAL

Pal is better quality

There is one more nasty besides the regional coding & video signal
which is mainly for blockbuster films being released at different dates around the world-some sort of overirde that won't play in your region unless your DVD player has a hack you can input

Choose your player wisely with this in mind if you are buying from the US of A

cheers
B....OZ

[mart]

Thanks Deuce. So a NTSC DVD will play but with lesser quality than a PAL. I bought a Dixie Chicks DVD this week and I just checked, its NTSC. But I must say the picture quality is very good.
I brought a top of the range Cyrus DVD player out from the UK, it has been multi-regionalised (if thats the appropriate term). I don't think I will be buying stuff from the States but thanks for the tip.

Mart

[davewells]

NTSC stands for never the same colour.

[steve56]

can ntsc vids be played on british video recorders because theirs a site called tv party selling old tv shows fro the states?

[Deuce Bigolo]

Most newer DVD players should play NTSC & PAL but not all

Your player is obviously region free and able to play both NTSC & PAL

PAL should be better than NTSC but you probably won't pick watching IMO
I think its more on the taping/duplication side where PAL is superior

You'll find a few US sites that offer PAL copies for an extra USD5-00

A good site for everything about DVD players including the regional codes and big studio copyright embedded protection I mentioned is



cheers
B....OZ

[Deuce Bigolo]

[alec]

> can ntsc vids be played on british video recorders because
> theirs a site called tv party selling old tv shows fro the
> states?


Unless your TV and VCR are very old, yes. This also means that even in the rare instances where your DVD-player does not convert NTSC to PAL, your TV will.

[jj]

But of course the pic-quality on NTSC playback can be considerably poorer, and you won't be able to dupe it, tape-to-tape, without a standards converter.

[alec]

jj wrote:

> But of course the pic-quality on NTSC playback can be
> considerably poorer,

From a tape, yes, not that I've noticed from a DVD - if the DVD was properly done from a good source, but if the DVD was cheaply done from an NTSC tape converted from a SECAM tape, then think washed out colours and lots of fuzzy edges, especially with movement.